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CHIEF EXECU TIVE OFFICER John M. Grau

SECRETARY-TREASURER Traci Pickus

VICE PRESIDEN T AND COO Daniel G. Walter

EDITOR’S EYEBY TIMOTHY E. JOHNSON AND JULIE H. MAZUR

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM YOUR NEW ELEC TRICAL CONTRACTOR EDITORS.

Surprised? You have that look on your face. It’s OK. We were, too. Eagle-eyed readers
will have already noticed that our long-time publisher, John Maisel, has retired, and
our esteemed editor, Andrea Klee, has taken the reins in John’s absence. Naturally,
those moves left a void in the editor’s seat, and we’re happy to announce that we
will be working together to fill that all-too-important role. Well, figuratively. We
won’t be sitting in the same chair.

We aren’t actually new to the magazine. Attentive readers will have seen our
names on the masthead (the list of important people to the left) for many years. In
fact, Julie has worked for the magazine for 13 years. Tim will celebrate double digits
in August.

Having worked together for almost a decade, we’ve learned everyone on an editorial team has his or her own strengths. Our training and educations complement each
other in ways that strengthen the product you now hold in your hands, and we’ve
made 113 (counting this one) issues together. We each have taken different paths to
get here, however.

Julie came to the magazine from the Los Angeles Times and Knight-Ridder/
Tribune Information Services and ensures we offer the most up-to-date information possible.

Tim holds a bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech and started as associate editor
with ELEC TRICAL CON TRACTOR in the fall of 2006. Along the way, he was promoted to
senior associate editor and web manager, heading up and overseeing all of the project
development for ECmag.com, including two complete redesigns.

Starting to get the picture? Our histories have driven us here. Beginning with this
issue, Julie is editor of print content, and Tim is editor of digital content.

As co-editors, we embark on a nontraditional arrangement, but these times call for
a unique approach. With digital platforms growing, publishing is changing the way it
reaches readers. ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR is striving to be everywhere you are and
everything you need us to be. We will do so with a strong print product and a growing
digital presence to support it, and that is why us working together as co-editors makes
sense. We plan to maintain the high standards of our predecessor and bring you the
interesting and useful content, in print and digital forms, that challenge and educate
you, and help to keep your electrical contracting businesses operating smoothly. You
can count on us, and over the coming months and years, we’ll prove it to you.

Now that’s out of the way, so let’s get to the issue. As always, with January comes
the construction outlook (page 24). Jeff Gavin synthesized material from several
sources and presents a fairly positive view for 2016. Like the El Niño winter we are
about to experience, it’s going to be unpredictable. There will be tailwinds pushing
the industry forward as the U.S. economy strengthens. The global economy and the
shortage of skilled labor might cause some headwinds to slow the progress.

We welcome Jim Romeo aboard as our new Technology columnist. His background as a merchant marine and mechanical engineer will certainly bring a different
perspective to the column. We also introduce a new product feature, App of the
Month, on page 59.

We hope you enjoy our first issue at the helm of this editorial powerhouse and
excuse us referring to ourselves in the third person. As we learn what every button
and lever does, we promise to keep the lights shining brightly.